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WhatsApp begins rolling out support for third-party AI agents

Users can currently connect up to five third-party agents at a time. Once the limit is reached, an existing agent must be disconnected before another can be added.

WhatsApp has started rolling out support for third-party artificial intelligence agents, allowing users to connect external AI services and interact with them directly through the messaging app.

The company has published dedicated Terms of Service for the feature, stating that third-party agents are built and operated by independent companies or developers rather than WhatsApp. WhatsApp provides the platform through which these agents communicate with users.

Users can currently connect up to five third-party agents at a time. Once the limit is reached, an existing agent must be disconnected before another can be added. WhatsApp said the limit could change in the future.

The feature was spotted by WhatsApp tracker WABetaInfo in WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.26.35.3. Users can add and configure an agent through WhatsApp settings before accessing it through a dedicated chat. The feature is currently available to a limited number of users in select countries and is being gradually expanded, with no date announced for a wider rollout.

Users can give agents a name and profile photo, while WhatsApp generates an API key to connect the service to the chat. WhatsApp’s documentation covers AI agents as well as other automated services.

The feature comes with an important privacy distinction. While personal WhatsApp messages and calls remain end-to-end encrypted, chats with third-party agents are not end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp said messages handled by third-party agents are received, processed, and stored in unencrypted form by the provider, subject to its own data practices.

WhatsApp also stressed that it does not own, operate, control, verify or endorse third-party agents. Users are advised to review the terms and privacy policies of individual providers before using them.

The rollout is part of Meta’s broader expansion of AI services across WhatsApp, including tools aimed at helping businesses handle customer queries, recommend products, book appointments, and support sales.

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